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Friday, April 12, 2013

The Queen and I

Last night we traveled back in time to the 1930's by spending the evening on the Queen Mary, a retired grand ocean liner from the golden age of luxury sea travel, now permanently berthed in Long Beach harbor. Our stay was prompted by a Macallan and Highland Park Scotch dinner hosted at the Queen Mary which featured delectable food with Scotch pairings, something I haven't really tried before. We thought due to the prospect of "copious" amounts of Scotch, staying the night (which was something I've always wanted to do anyway) would be the best plan of action. (In actuality the serving of Scotch with each course was very small, not even enough to get a lightweight such as myself too buzzed.)

This was my first "voyage" aboard the Queen Mary and I was quite impressed with her majesty. Originally she set sail on the high seas in 1936 and was later retired in 1967. Many of the original features of the ship and cabins are still intact complete with original wood veneers and art deco glory.

Here I am on deck, donning my J. Crew Gardenshade Floral dress and suede Mona pumps. The decks were very slippery and seeing as though I had not broken my shoes in, I was sure that I would be in for a fall. Luckily I had my husband to hold on to so that I wouldn't fly overboard into the sea.

This is pretty much the same picture of me, but it shows some of the wood veneer that lines most of this ship. It might not look like much, but it is quite impressive to see in person. I don't think you'll find this on Carnival Cruises.

After the dinner, guests were invited to go atop the observation deck of the ship for cigars and more Scotch. I had forgotten this part of the evening and didn't bring a coat or sweater (which I am known to carry at all times, even in 100 degree weather), therefore my husband lent me his heavy wool blazer (one of his few J. Crew purchases) for warmth. It looked rather ridiculous but first, it was warm and second, it matched the fact that I was clad in head to toe J. Crew. Below you will see a view from the deck and me with a cigar and glass, which at one point had Scotch in it.

For a nightcap, we went to the Observation Bar which still maintains its original Art Deco charm. The bar looks pretty much the way it did when the ship was first built. I especially loved the mural adorning the top of the bar.

This isn't my own photo, but here's a picture of what the Queen Mary looks like lit up at night. Due to its immense size, it's a bit overwhelming to photograph the entire ship in its entirety unless you travel quite some distance away from it, which I wasn't too much in the mood for after eating a lot of food and having a few drinks.

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Welcome to Hello Katie Girl's blog. It amazes me that anyone would bother to read this, but as Andy Warhol famously said, everyone will have his or her 15 minutes of fame. While I'm not looking for fame, I hope you will enjoy my various interests. I'm just a girl who loves dogs, food, and fashion. I also like to cook, admire art and explore the hidden treasures of Los Angeles. It might sound like a random combination, but I'm sort of a random person! Please note that although the opinions on this blog are strictly my own, hellokatiegirl@blogspot.com occasionally receives vendor and/or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products and/or services. You're welcome to contact me at hellokatiegirl@gmail.com.